The Hartland Resource Management consortium has been selected to design, build, finance, operate and maintain a wastewater treatment project serving the Victoria, BC area, with a $126.8 million capital cost.

The Capital Regional District (CRD) says in a statement the project will pipe residual solids from the McLoughlin Point Wastewater Plant to the residuals treatment facility at Hartland Landfill, “where they will be treated and turned into what are known as Class A biosolids,” described as “a high quality by-product safe for benefiical reuse.”

Participants in the consortium to operate the system over two decades include Bird Construction Inc., Maple Reinders PPP Ltd. and Synargo Capital.

The CRD says the contract is performance-based, with payment tied to the quantity of residual solids treated.

The dried Class A biosolids product will look similar to a dark ash and will be suitable for several beneficial reuses, including as an alternate energy source. The beneficial reuse of the biosolids will be determined by the CRD through a separate competitive selection process.

A community engagement plan will ensure the surrounding community have advance notice of construction activity. Communication tools will include: project information line phone number, email, social media, website, community updates, construction bulletins, traffic media updates, door-to-door advisories where appropriate and community information meetings.

The project is funded by P3 Canada, the Province of British Columbia and the Capital Regional District. Construction is anticipated to begin this spring 2018 and take approximately 2.5 years to complete.

In a statement, Bird Construction says it has a 50 per cent interest in the construction joint venture that will design and build the project. Bird has also taken a minority equity interest in the concession responsible for the design, construction, financing, operations and maintenance of the project through Bird Capital, a wholly owned subsidiary.